Questions for ‘Eyelashes help fling water from our eyes’

To accompany ‘Eyelashes help fling water from our eyes’

SCIENCE

Before Reading:

1. Write down three possible functions of body hair.
2. Watch this Science News video and write down two properties of eyelashes that help them do their job.

During Reading:

1. Which part of the eyelash is the cuticle?
2. How does cuticle structure encourage a one-way flow of water?
3. What did researchers measure in the hair-dip experiment?
4. How did the results of the hair-dip experiment support the researchers’ theory that water tends to move one way down an eyelash?
5. Describe the behavior of water when dropped on a hydrophobic surface.
6. What do researchers mean when they describe an eyelash as shaped like a brachistochrone? How does this affect the ability of an eyelash to remove water?
7. Besides repelling water, what is another role of eyelashes?

After Reading:

1. Sketch a side view of an eyelash. Use what you learned from reading this article to include two water-repellent features in your sketch. Indicate each feature with an arrow and write a one-sentence explanation for how each feature contributes to an eyelash’s water-flicking abilities.
2. An analogy is a literary device that helps explain an unfamiliar idea by pointing out its similarities to something familiar. Point to one example of an analogy used in this story. To what extent did this analogy help you understand an unfamiliar concept? Explain your answer.